Field emission display (FED) is a new, rapidly developing flat panel display technology. Generally, FED can be roughly classified into diode and triode structures. In particular, carbon nanotube-based FED have attracted much attention in recent years.
Field emission cathode is important element in FED. A field emission cathode based on carbon nanotubes usually includes an insulating substrate, a cathode electrode attached on the substrate, a number of carbon nanotubes distributed on the cathode electrode. Usually, the carbon nanotubes are fabricated on the cathode electrode by printing carbon nanotube slurry or carbon nanotube ink. However, the carbon nanotubes fabricated by printing are not secured on the cathode electrode. Thus, the carbon nanotubes tend to be pulled out from the cathode electrode by a strong electric field force causing the field emission cathode to have a short life.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a field emission cathode based on carbon nanotubes for solving the problem discussed above.